In the wake of the slow economy many people have turned to do it yourself fashion projects. As a result I have seen some of the most innovative and creative pieces in decades. The best of these hand made accessories display bold mixes of materials and colors. And hey, if you’re going to use the remnants of previous projects you can throw out, “The less is more attitude”. So, go a head and dive into your scrap box and mix it up.

On the back side of 1 6” fabric square mark the middle at one edge. Measure up 2 ¼” and mark. At top right corner mark ¼” in from the side. From your 2 ¼” mark draw curved line to ¼” mark in right corner. Do the same from the bottom mark to right corner. Fold square and cut on lines so that you have an even crescent shape. Repeat steps with the other fabric square.

Find the outer measurement of your crescent. Subtract 2” and cut fringe to this length.

Pin fringe to bottom curve and baste.

Embellish face of the other fabric crescent. I chose flat sew on jewels so that the piece can be reversible. If you like you can embellish with larger sew on jewels and beads and where your piece from 1 side only.

Pin fabric crescents back to back and stitch around.

Finding the placement of you piece is up to you. I left my chain a little longer so that it can be adjusted depending on my outfit.

Once glue-gun is hot and glue can easily be applied, begin applying to the lip of the vase. Do this while working in small section, about 2-3inches at a time. Apply the tape of the fringe to the lip while glue is still hot. Work around entire lip of vase. Trim off any excess fringe.

Apply feather tape in same manner.

Glue 1st mesh covered jewel on top of tape. Measure 2 1/2″ from either side of jewel and apply the 2nd. Continue around entire lip of vase.

Table looking a little drab? Fancy it up with a tablecloth! This week I wanted to spruce up a little a night stand with a tablecloth and fringe. It’s a quick project and requires no sewing!

Supplies:

Measure the surface of the table you would like to cover and add 5 inches to the length and width. So…if your table surface is 35″ x 30″ then you would need a piece of fabric that is 40″ x 35″. HINT: most fabric stores sell fabric that is between 44″ to 54″ wide, so for a small table you might only need 1 yard (FYI: 36″ in a yard) I picked medium weight cotton in mint green to match the ball fringe from my lampshade project.

Add the width and the length of your fabric measurement and multiply that number by two. Add a couple inches for good measure (Pun fully intended) and now you have the measurement for your fringe. I decided on 4.25″ Beaded Bone Sequin Fringe in black…. mostly because in combination with the mint green fabric, it reminds me of mind chocolate chip ice cream and that is my favorite.

Once you have cut out the fabric, all you have left to do is glue the fringe to the edge. No need to hem it since the glue will prevent any fraying. You can sew this project if you like, but today I was feeling especially lethargic and sometimes there is nothing wrong with cutting corners.

Apply glue to the backside of the ribbon that the fringe hangs from. I would suggest adding it in about 5 inch sections at a time to ensure a straight application. Press the glued-up side of the ribbon to the edge of your fabric. Remember to let the dangly part of the fringe point away from the fabric.

When you get to the end fold over a piece of the ribbon and secure the fold with some fabric glue. Pinch it together for a moment until the glue begins to dry. Let this finished end overlap slightly over the raw edge of where you started. Cut off access fringe.

Mothers day is just around the corner. Almost any sensible woman above the age of 25 will tell you that lighting is key. Bad lighting such as overhead fluorescents can drastically alter her appearance not to mention the all around mood of the room. Help a lady out this Mother’s day with the gift of flattering light.

This week I transformed a thrift store lamp into 2 different looks using spray paint, fabric and trimmings. I wanted to lean towards a monochromatic color scheme for the lamp itself, leaving a broader range of possibilities for the trimmings to match any room or style.

You will need:

A lamp + lampshade

Primer and Spray paint

Fabric (amount depends on the size of your lampshade)

Trimmings of your choice (You will have to measure out the appropriate amount depending on the size of your lampshade and how much coverage you want)

Lay your lampshade on its’ side and roll it across your fabric tracing it with a pencil as you go. You will only need to roll it about ½ way around.

Create a second line about 1 inch outside of your original tracing and cut it out.

Wrap the fabric around the lampshade folding the 1 inch seam allowance behind the top and bottom edges of the shade. Secure with Magna-Tac as you go. (keep in mind that if your fabric is thin and covering a shade that is thin as well, your seam will show through once the lamp is turned on…so try to be as neat as possible.)

Lay down 2 coats of primer to the lamp base and when it is dry spray paint a couple coats of top coat in the color of your choice.